tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4863879657431079145..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Topless Table ReadingsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84723487896168878002019-07-11T23:18:44.069-07:002019-07-11T23:18:44.069-07:00Was Kirstie playing a gag with the wig or mistaken...Was Kirstie playing a gag with the wig or mistakenly thinking that’s what they wanted?Bryan Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942472363470824138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51613243506508590962017-01-15T21:56:39.042-08:002017-01-15T21:56:39.042-08:00One of my favorite parts of community theatre is t...One of my favorite parts of community theatre is table reads. Unlike a more professional environment like you might see at a television studio, we often don't even receive our scripts until the night of the table read, so it's a cold read for everyone. (Maybe this varies by theatre/troupe?)<br /><br />This wouldn't be so interesting on its own, but for the fact that as often as not I seem to get cast for roles I didn't even read for at auditions. Combined with relative unfamiliarity with the material, this means I often don't even start working on my characterization for a role until that table read. At the first read for the show I'm working on now, my interpretation of the role was very different by the end of the night from how it started.Covarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05512077437345823232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62383292557401438082017-01-15T18:05:24.681-08:002017-01-15T18:05:24.681-08:00In defense of the guy who freaked out at the 9-11-...In defense of the guy who freaked out at the 9-11-era bomb scare, everyone in the Twin Towers was told to stay put. So, I probably would have left the studio, too. But maybe not in such hysterics.Marty Fufkinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73381164453703951522017-01-15T16:48:17.728-08:002017-01-15T16:48:17.728-08:00Ken -- curious if you've had a chance to check...Ken -- curious if you've had a chance to check out the new "One Day at a Time" on Netflix. I know you're a big defender of the classic multi-camera format and this show really seems execute that format well. Also, Rita Moreno is amazing in every scene she's in.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01398155323660704945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23361253545554307592017-01-15T11:38:33.969-08:002017-01-15T11:38:33.969-08:00Given many of the formulaic sitcoms (e.g. "Su...Given many of the formulaic sitcoms (e.g. "Suddenly Susan") NBC put through its sausage machine in the 1990s (as proof, it took all the charm out of Tea Leoni's "The Naked Truth" after the series moved there after one season on ABC), I think we can safely say Larry and Jerry made the right decision to have nothing to do with the suits.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51697757409169386532017-01-15T11:34:11.936-08:002017-01-15T11:34:11.936-08:00my table reading story: we were doing a table rea...my table reading story: we were doing a table read for an episode of frasier, and kelsey brought in his newborn baby. after much oohing and ahhing, we started the read. the baby, meanwhile, had fallen asleep, and nobody wanted to wake her up with any loud laughter. so the performances were quiet, and nobody laughed. it was impossible to get a sense of how the story worked.dan ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10850650021260128271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28902564795870254702017-01-15T11:25:09.498-08:002017-01-15T11:25:09.498-08:00Btw, comic book art god, Neal Adams, Ras' co-c...Btw, comic book art god, Neal Adams, Ras' co-creator, pronounces it Raz al Gool.Bill Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06041905291496937729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57921555120714866462017-01-15T10:51:51.684-08:002017-01-15T10:51:51.684-08:00"Episodes" had a great "Table Read&... "Episodes" had a great "Table Read"segment in one of the early shows. If it's still on demand, it's worth seeing...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25073728663195490102017-01-15T09:45:21.465-08:002017-01-15T09:45:21.465-08:00I was watching/listening to a DVD commentary on a ...I was watching/listening to a DVD commentary on a popular show that ended a couple of years ago and the showrunner was saying that table reads are going the way of dinosaurs on a lot of shows due to the demands of getting everything that a weekly show entails on the air. Basically saying that a lot of things ended it such as a guest actor not being able to attend [it filmed in another country....Hello Canadians!] and having a crew member doing their read through just didn't make sense. Another was even when they're shooting they're re-writing parts of the script during a scene or an actor comes up with a better line that they decide to use. So a Friday question: Do you think what he says is true; are table reads becoming a thing of the past or maybe it just didn't make sense for HIS particular show?YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48678926242785443602017-01-15T08:38:45.022-08:002017-01-15T08:38:45.022-08:00I've heard Jerry Seinfeld on radio/podcast int...<br />I've heard Jerry Seinfeld on radio/podcast interviews state that one reason for "Seinfeld's" success is the lack of continuous network interference, though early on it was recommended that the show add a female character, which he and Larry David accepted. <br /><br />Are there any other successful network TV shows that you know of where the suits kept their distance?<br /><br />Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03428768957017762182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36607935965663325952017-01-15T08:34:51.864-08:002017-01-15T08:34:51.864-08:00You may regard this as a Friday question. On some ...You may regard this as a Friday question. On some shows, people mispronounce words or different actors pronounce names differently. Two examples: on Supergirl, saying "the Danvers" as if it were the plural of Danvers. It should be Danverses. On Arrow, the name of the villain Ras al Ghul has at least two different pronunciations. Doesn't anybody try to correct these things at the table read or in rehearsal? Or is everybody clueless? (Ironically, I don't know offhand how to punctuate Ras al Ghul.)Paul Dushkindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14830657150841395470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14747586843867773672017-01-15T08:34:40.351-08:002017-01-15T08:34:40.351-08:00Even after rehearsal, some actors' pronunciati...Even after rehearsal, some actors' pronunciations are really distracting. The frequent one that drives me nuts is Silicone Valley for Silicon Valley (no, the tech industry does not make chips out of breast implants). <br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69552332873329880072017-01-15T08:23:12.859-08:002017-01-15T08:23:12.859-08:00No, Nancy was not the topless table reader.No, Nancy was not the topless table reader.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67963157189457012672017-01-15T08:05:03.027-08:002017-01-15T08:05:03.027-08:00Nancy Travis wasn't it?Nancy Travis wasn't it?Mikenoreply@blogger.com